As of 2021, BSBI has been granted to 962 participants from 77 countries.
Makassar (ANTARA) - The Foreign Affairs Ministry is collaborating with six art schools to implement the 2022 Indonesian Arts and Culture Scholarship (BSBI) program as one of Indonesia’s commitments to the Southwest Pacific Dialogue (SwPD) cooperation forum.

Director General of Information and Public Diplomacy of the ministry Teuku Faizasyah said at the inauguration of the 2022 BSBI Program here on Saturday that the program had been implemented since 2003.

At the beginning of the program, the scholarship was only granted to 12 participants from six SwPD member countries -- Australia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, and Indonesia.

"As of 2021, BSBI has been granted to 962 participants from 77 countries,” the director general noted.

Meanwhile, 43 participants have passed the screening from the ministry for the 2022 BSBI program, he has continued.

“The number may increase as the registration will end on May 18, 2022," he said.

Meanwhile, the Director of Public Diplomacy at the ministry, Yusron B Ambary, informed that before the pandemic, the scholarship recipients came from abroad to live and study at the art school partners of the ministry.

"However, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the activity has to be adjusted, thus the scholarship recipients can only have virtual study and practice," he said.



For the program in 2022, he has noted that the selected art schools include the Syufyani Music and Dance Studio (Padang CIty, West Sumatra Province), Gubang Art Community (Kutai Kartanegara District, East Kalimantan Province), and Kazaki Art School (Makassar City, South Sulawesi Province).

Furthermore, the other schools are Semarandana Art Studio (Bali Province), Langlang Buana Art Studio (Banyuwangi District, East Java Province) and Kinanti Sekar Art Studio (Yogyakarta Province).

One of the recipients of the scholarship who comes from Austria, Bianca, has assessed that Indonesian art and culture is very unique and interesting.

In addition, the participant has also said that the people are very friendly to communicate and discuss with.

Meanwhile, the founder of Kazaki Art School, Muzakkir Hakim, said that he was very grateful to be chosen as the ministry’s partner to make the program successful.

"We will optimize the ministry’s mandate to help promoting Indonesian cultural arts to the international community through the BSBI program," he stated -- adding that his party is also supported by the Makassar City Government.
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Translator: Suriani Mappong, Uyu Liman
Editor: Suharto
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